Russia Gains Ground in Eastern Ukraine, Sentences American to Prison |
Ukraine ceded territory (The Guardian) to Russian forces in the eastern Donbas region in recent days, a development Kyiv called a “partial success” for Moscow. In the south, Russian troops are expected to launch an offensive in the city of Kherson as Ukraine continues its campaign to recapture the Russia-controlled region. Separately, three more ships carrying grain were granted authorization to leave Ukraine’s ports for Ireland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is ready to discuss (CNN) a U.S. proposal to exchange Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for a Russian arms dealer, state media reported. The news comes after a Russian court sentenced Griner to nine years in prison following her arrest for marijuana possession in February. U.S. President Joe Biden called the verdict “unacceptable” (White House).
|
|
|
“Ukrainian forces created in the Donbas quite effective defensive positions over the past several years,” retired Ukrainian Colonel Serhiy Grabskiy tells the New York Times. “[The Russians] are frankly stuck in Donbas now without real success, and they have a new headache: the south, which from the perspective of the Ukrainian armed forces is a more important strategic goal.”
“What the Ukrainians seem to be doing is sucking more and more Russian combat power away [from the fight in Donbas],” the Royal United Services Institute’s Jack Watling tells the Wall Street Journal. “The Ukrainians don’t have the combat power to storm the city [of Kherson]; what they’re doing instead is eating away at the Russian combat positions.” |
|
|
China Sanctions Pelosi Over Taiwan Visit |
The measures come in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent trip to Taiwan, which the Chinese foreign ministry said undermined China’s sovereignty (Reuters) and threatened peace in the Taiwan Strait. The sanctions will apply to Pelosi and her immediate family.
North Korea: A draft UN report revealed that Pyongyang has tested explosive devices (Nikkei) and begun digging new underground tunnels at its Punggye-ri nuclear test site. The report said these actions “pave the way for additional nuclear tests.”
This Backgrounder looks at North Korea’s military capabilities. |
|
|
Indian Lawmakers Stage Protests |
More than sixty lawmakers from the Indian National Congress party were detained (PTI) outside parliament and the party’s headquarters while protesting nationwide price increases and rising unemployment.
Nepal: The government announced it will hold parliamentary elections (Reuters) in November amid concerns over high inflation rates, depleted foreign exchange reserves, and increased food and energy prices. |
|
|
Middle East and North Africa |
U.S., Iran Resume Nuclear Deal Talks |
The United States and Iran resumed indirect talks (The National) in Vienna, Austria, yesterday to try to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal. The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said there is “no room left” for major compromises, while a White House spokesperson said negotiations are “pretty much complete.” Tunisia: Civil society groups requested that election authorities publish the raw data (Al Jazeera) from last week’s constitutional referendum, citing concerns about vote data management and errors in some governorates’ results. |
|
|
Humanitarian Aid Falls Short in West Africa |
Donors have provided less than half the funding needed to address widespread famine in the Sahel region and the lives of close to one million people (Bloomberg) are at risk, according to the Alliance for International Medical Action. More than thirty-eight million people across six countries in the Sahel are considered food insecure. Senegal: The government signed a peace deal (BBC) with the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance, a rebel group operating in the country’s south. After decades of conflict in which thousands of people were killed, the group has pledged to lay down its arms and work toward a permanent peace. |
|
|
Russia to Hold Talks With Turkey |
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi today, their second meeting in less than three weeks. The leaders are expected to discuss (WaPo) economic ties and Turkey’s plan to launch a new military operation in Syria.
This Backgrounder unpacks Turkey’s growing foreign policy ambitions. |
|
|
Venezuela Charges Opposition Leader for 2018 Attack |
The Venezuelan government sentenced Juan Requesens (BBC), a former member of the National Assembly, to eight years in prison on a conspiracy charge. Prosecutors said Requesens was responsible for a drone attack at a military parade attended by President Nicolás Maduro in 2018.
Canada/China: China summoned a Canadian diplomat based in Beijing following Canada’s participation in a Group of Seven (G7) statement that urged Beijing to peacefully resolve tensions (Times of India) in the Taiwan Strait.
|
|
|
White House Declares Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency |
|
|
The Christian Science Monitor explains why the U.S. Supreme Court is uniquely powerful—and controversial—compared to other countries’ top courts. |
|
|
Council on Foreign Relations |
58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065
|
1777 F Street, NW — Washington, DC 20006 |
|
|
|
